A rocking type exercising apparatus for providing a user with an exercising effect similar to a horse riding is an easy-to-use exercising apparatus that is widely used among users of various generations from children to elderly persons and is spread to general households as well as rehabilitation purpose medical facilities. Examples of the conventional rocking type exercising apparatus are disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent No. 3394890 and Japanese Patent Laid-open Application No. 2001-286578.
Japanese Patent No. 3394890 discloses a prophylactic training apparatus for lumbago that can realize rhythmical rocking motions using a parallel mechanism having a leeway of movement in six different directions or the like. Japanese Patent Laid-open Application No. 2001-286578 discloses a balance training apparatus that can realize a forward/backward rocking motion and a leftward/rightward rocking motion using a motor and a link.
The conventional apparatus noted above are designed to simulate the rocking motion of a user's body generated when riding on a horseback but take no account of the advancing movement resulting from the walking of a horse. Assuming that the afore-mentioned apparatus would make a user feel as if he or she moves forward, it will be possible to provide a more realistic exercise effect to the user.